New attendance boundary recommendations for middle schools and high schools in Denton ISD were presented by Assistant Superintendent Lacey Rainey to the board of trustees for the first time during their regular board meeting Nov. 10.
If approved, the plan would adjust the district’s attendance zones ahead of the opening of Mia Price High School, the district’s fifth comprehensive high school, for the 2028-29 school year.
The overview
Construction of the high school was needed to address campus capacity as rapid residential growth continues along the U.S. 380 corridor, according to prior reporting. The district already received community feedback through public forums as well as an online survey sent to impacted families, Rainey said.
No elementary school attendance zones would change under the proposed plan. However, feeder patterns and high school attendance boundaries would shift across several campuses, according to the district’s website.
The following changes are proposed for the high school attendance boundaries:
Braswell High School would see a portion of its western attendance zone would shift to Price High
Denton High School would see a small southern sector shift to Guyer High School and an eastern section would be rezoned to Price High
Guyer High School would see small northern section be rezoned to Denton High School
Ryan High School would have portions of its northern attendance zone shift to Price High
The following changes are proposed at the middle school level:
Rodriguez Middle School would feed into Mia Price High School instead of Braswell High School while absorbing students from areas currently zoned for Strickland Middle School.
Calhoun Middle School would have some sectors feed into Price High instead of Denton High and a small area within Calhoun Middle’s boundary would be rezoned to Strickland Middle.
Strickland Middle School would have selected areas feed into Price High instead of Ryan High while other areas would be rezoned to Rodriguez Middle. Strickland would absorb a small section previously zoned for Calhoun Middle.
The proposed boundaries would not take effect until the 2028-29 school year. Student campus assignments would remain unchanged for both the 2026-27 and 2027-28 academic years.
The construction of Mia Price High School is funded through the district's voter-approved May 2023 bond package of more than $1.4 billion, according to DISD’s website.
The details
Braswell and Guyer high schools have the capacity for 2,800 students, while Denton, Ryan and Price high schools can hold 2,400 students, according to the presentation.
District officials said the boundaries were drawn so that Mia Price High School would have room to absorb upcoming master-planned communities, like the 9,000-home Craver Ranch development slated to open in 2028, so the district will not have to redraw attendance lines again in the near future.
Guyer High School is the only campus with proposed attendance boundary changes that would see an increase in projected enrollment, operating slightly over capacity in the 2028-29 school year.
Rainey said Guyer High School’s zone would remain largely untouched because upcoming growth from the Landmark and Cole Ranch master-planned communities within the campus’ attendance boundary would need to be addressed through future bond programs.
Prior to the proposed boundary review, Zonda Education demographer Rocky Gardiner gave a presentation on local housing trends and enrollment forecasts. He projected that Denton ISD enrollment will approach 32,900 students in five years and 25,000 within 10 years, a slower climb than Zonda Education previously projected.
What you need to know
Denton ISD will open a “Request to Remain” application in fall 2027 to allow affected students to finish out at their current schools. While district policy typically excludes transfer students from bus transportation, administrators are exploring temporary shuttles if large cohorts choose to stay, Rainey said.
Current fifth and eighth graders will be offered early transfer options in December for the 2027–28 school year, according to the district’s website.
Students will keep their varsity athletic and fine arts eligibility whether they transfer to Price High or choose to remain at their current campus, Superintendent Susannah O'Bara said.
She added that Rainey worked closely with district fine arts and athletic directors to ensure Price High opens with grades 9 through 12 specifically so students have immediate access to varsity programming.
“When we open a new school, we have to look at equitable access and ensuring that students have opportunities not only academically, but also for our extracurriculars and co-curriculars,” Rainey said.
Looking ahead
The board is scheduled to vote on the attendance boundaries and feeder patterns Dec. 8.
Mascot and branding selections, welcome events and campus tours for Mia Price High School are set to take place in spring 2028.
